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19980713046179A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA32300 · Great Falls, MT · July 13, 1998

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Date
July 13, 1998 · 14:36 local
Place
Great Falls, MT
Airport
Great Falls International
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
CGDBT
Reported as
Piper PA32300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1A5
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) The pilot was executing a landing to runway 21 at the Great Falls International Airport and reported that 'approximately 10 to 15 feet above the runway, the plane dropped suddenly, hitting the runway hard and starting a series of bounces-each bounce progressively higher-that I attempted to control with elevator and power. At the time, I was able to keep the plane straight down the runway but was being blown to the left by the cross wind. After the fourth bounce, I opted for a nose down landing in the face of my greater concern of leaving the runway and flipping the aircraft.' Tower controllers reported that they observed the aircraft begin porpoising with increasing severity during which the nose landing gear collapsed. The 1435 surface weather observation taken at the Great Falls International Airport on the date of the accident reported winds from 230 degrees magnetic at 22 knots gusting to 30 knots. (-23) pilot, tower personnel and FBO executive statements indicated that the pilot entered a porpoising situation upon landing which grew progressively worse ending in a collapsed nose gear. privacy data omitted

As the FAA filed it

(.4) THE PILOT WAS EXECUTING A LANDING TO RUNWAY 21 AT THE GREAT FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND REPORTED THAT 'APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, THE PLANE DROPPED SUDDENLY, HITTING THE RUNWAY HARD AND STARTING A SERIES OF BOUNCES-EACH BOUNCE PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER-THAT I ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL WITH ELEVATOR AND POWER. AT THE TIME, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE PLANE STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY BUT WAS BEING BLOWN TO THE LEFT BY THE CROSS WIND. AFTER THE FOURTH BOUNCE, I OPTED FOR A NOSE DOWN LANDING IN THE FACE OF MY GREATER CONCERN OF LEAVING THE RUNWAY AND FLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT.' TOWER CONTROLLERS REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT BEGIN PORPOISING WITH INCREASING SEVERITY DURING WHICH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE 1435 SURFACE WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN AT THE GREAT FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT REPORTED WINDS FROM 230 DEGREES MAGNETIC AT 22 KNOTS GUSTING TO 30 KNOTS. (-23) PILOT, TOWER PERSONNEL AND FBO EXECUTIVE STATEMENTS INDICATED THAT THE PILOT ENTERED A PORPOISING SITUATION UPON LANDING WHICH GREW PROGRESSIVELY WORSE ENDING IN A COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^